Walk Away?
by FreakyOriginalGirl
Summary: He had promised that he would never hurt her…and she, well, she had only smiled, not a happy smile though, just a…smile that he couldn’t name, not then anyway. Zanessa.


Title: "Walk Away?"

Summary: He had promised that he would never hurt her…and she, well, she had only smiled, not a happy smile though, just a…smile that he couldn't name, not then anyway.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to bash and/or hurt anyone, this is just a story created with me own imagination and I admit, my love for this couple.

A/N: This is about the 'zanessa' reaction to the 'Hairspray' MOD interview, Ok, so I know that this is old news but you see, I have this problem, that when an idea or a thought get stuck in my head, it won't let me go until I do something about it. Also, sometimes I find it really hard to come up with a good title for a story, and this time was one of them so after having this story done for over a week, I decided on something, but I'm not sure how well the title fits to the story, but, oh well.

----

Vanessa stared at the TV screen, not sure, if she should laugh or cry at the image that was still repeating itself in her head, even if the interview itself was over. How ironic wasn't it that it was always her that found herself in these situations, and even if she knew that it was all for publicity, her mind still couldn't help but wander back to three other boyfriends she have had that she had kissed other girls, although, in those cases, not so much for publicity.

Vanessa was brought back from her thoughts by Ashley's kind voice. Vanessa saw that the look at look in her best friends face was one of confusion, like she didn't know what to think or react at the moment, and Vanessa realised that she pretty much must have the same look in her face.

A sigh escaped her lips and she sent her best friend a weak smile before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" She heard Ashley call out and she stopped with her hand on the doorknob.

"Just out," she replied before shutting the door behind her and walked out the entrance door and leaving Ashley's apartment house altogether. Since she didn't have a car she decided to walk, and she felt relieved that she didn't see any paparazzi around, she really didn't think that she could handle any questions right now.

She heard ratter then saw a car pull up outside Ashley's house and heard someone, well, maybe not someone since she had guessed who it was already before she heard him call. It was Zac but Vanessa didn't feel like talking to him at the moment, she had to collect her thoughts in private so she kept walking a few more meters before turning around next to an old tall wooden fence. She pushed away to loose planks that if you didn't know where there, you wouldn't know of them and moved through before shutting it again after her.

Vanessa looked around the small space she now found herself in before turning left and walking down towards a small clearing, noting big and fancy but it was private, Vanessa guessed that it once must have been a park or something, because there were still traces of a sandbox an old swing still hung in the old almost dead tree.

She had found this place when she fist moved there years ago, and she had thought many times of showing it to Zac, but now, she guessed that some part of her was happy that she hadn't, this was the place she went to gather her thoughts and come up with decisions, like Zac went to the gym when he had to deal with something, although, the gym wasn't exactly private.

Sighing she sat down on the ground and leaned her head against the tree, it was really peaceful there, and even though you could hear the never sleeping traffic on LA, it still felt so far away, like it was another reality. Vanessa couldn't help but smile to herself. _Her reality_.

----

Things didn't feel or looked so good for Zac, as soon as he had arrived back in LA he had tried to find Vanessa, his first and obvious stop was the Hudgens resident, but once he got there he only found out that she was at Ashley's.

Rushing there he hoped against hope that she hadn't seen the interview, true, it was for publicity but he had to make sure that she wasn't hurt by it, even a little bit, he knew about some of those exes of hers, she had told him about them before they became an item back in the HSM 1 days, and it had been the first thing he promised her when they had taken their friendship and turned it into something more, that he would never hurt her.

Vanessa of course had only smiled when he said that, it hadn't been a happy smile but a…he still didn't know what the smile meant but he had pushed it aside

When he pulled up in front of Ashley's apartment building he saw Vanessa moving down the street away from him, he called out her name but she just kept walking, he knew that she had heard him because she slowed down a little before walking faster again, he ran after her but she disappeared before he could reach her.

With a sigh, he turned back towards his car only to see a blond girl leaning against it with her arms crossed over her frame.

"What the heck was that Efron?" Was all she said and sent him a glare while waiting for a response. When she didn't get one she stood up straight and walked over to him so that she was only inches away from him. And even if she was shorter then him, he suddenly felt like he was only a few centimetres tall under her stare. "Well?" She asked.

He shrugged helplessly but added, "I don't know."

"What do you mean 'you don't know?', how can you not know, you kissed another girl on TV for thousands to see, and I might add, when it's put up on youtube, then it will be in front of millions, one of them being your girlfriend, remember her? About my height, brown hair, brown eyes, eyes that what do you say about them, oh yeah, that you can just stare into forever and ever, do you even know what this might, and most likely will, put her though, the questions, the glares, the 'oh, I knew that Zikki was real, I just knew it, and didn't I tell you that 'Zanessa' was only for publicity'," Ashley was breathing hard but he knew that she wasn't finished yet.

"Zikki?" Zac wasn't sure what she meant until moments later. "Right, that. Well, it isn't real, Nikki is just a friend."

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know that, and you know that, and Vanessa knows that and I hope that Nikki knows that, but have that ever stopped people from talking and assuming? No, Zac…" She slowly pulled a hand through her hair. "You know that we all have to have to be careful about these things, and especially you. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't…thinking"

"Well, obviously," Ashley said and crossed her arms over her chest again.

Zac closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he knew that he was starting to get as worked out over this as Ashley. With good reasons of course, but he just wanted to see Vanessa. "Look, I don't know what happened; the interviewer asked us and what I was supposed to say?"

Ashley let out a dry laughed before throwing her arms in the air and taking a few steps away from him. "How about…oh, I don't know…NO!"

"I know, I know, I made a mistake, a huge mistake, and I regret doing it, for everyone's sake but mostly for Van's."

Ashley sighed. "I know, I've known you for several years now and I know that you're sorry, however, I don't know how Vanessa feels about this so…" she started but he cut her of.

"I saw her walking down the street but she didn't stop when I called for her, and then she just disappeared."

"She probably went to some secret hiding place of hers; she knows most of them around here and when she needs to think she always goes there, although, since she never told me where it is, I can't help you there, I guess that we just have to wait until she have worked things out."

Zac leaned helplessly against the side of his car, "I can't lose her Ash, not ever this, heck, I don't think I would be able to handle losing her at all."

Ashley leaned on the car beside him and took a deep breath before replying. "When she saw…you know, I can't tell you how she reacted, she just seem to be in her own little world for a while, but then she just turned and left."

He nodded slowly. She had probably had some terrible flashback of what some of her earlier boyfriends had done to her and now he had done the same thing. He had to find a way for her to forgive him, even if he had to get down on his bare knees in front of the world he knew he would.

"I have to go, if you see or talk to her; tell her to come to my apartment." With that he hoped into his car and left one of his best friends standing there wondering what he was going to do.

----

It was already late when Vanessa finally left the small park-area-thing and got back to the street, she wasn't any wiser about the situation then she had been the last couple of hours but she knew that she had to talk to Zac.

Pulling out her iphone she called Ashley who picked up on the second ring.

"Nessa, where are you?"

"Just out, I'm on my way home though," she hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Did you see Zac?"

She heard Ashley signing on the other line. "Yes I did, and he knows what he did was foolish and he is upset and distracted that he hurt you."

Vanessa had never told Ashley about those boyfriends that had cheated on her, she had only told Zac, and she couldn't help but feel half glad, glad that he remembered and cared about that enough to think about the fact that she might be hurt about it, and sad that he was sad, it had always been her 'zefron' weakness, she couldn't stand seeing him anything but happy, and knowing that while he was concerned for her, he wasn't happy, she knew that she had to talk to him so she turned around and headed towards another familiar apartment building.

"I really think that you should talk to him Nessa," she heard Ashley say on the other side of the line.

Vanessa nodded but knew that her best friend couldn't see her however, she didn't care at the moment because she found herself outside Zac's apartment building, the place that really was like her second home. "Hey Ash, I have to go, I'll talk to you soon, ok."

"Okay, just think of what I said."

Vanessa smiled. "Sure" and she knew by Ashley light chuckle that she must have understood where she was.

Vanessa entered the code and opened the door before walking up the stairs toward her boyfriend's apartment. She hesitated a few seconds before knocking on the door, she had a key, and he had told her to use it when she came by but this felt like one of those moments when it felt better to knock.

She only had to wait few moment before the door opened revelling a ratter distracted looking blue eyed boy, it seem to take him yet another few moments before he realised that it was her.

"Van," he simply said and sent her a nervous smile, he turned and glanced over his shoulder and Vanessa suddenly got a weird feeling coming over her, why was he acting this way? A thought crossed her mind. _Maybe he didn't want her there_…but she stopped the thought before it could get any further, without saying another word she turned around and was about to take a step away when she felt his hand around her wrist. He spun her around with little effort since she didn't try to get away from him.

"Where are you going?" he asked and sounded…what was that…scared…, confused…, and almost pleading? It was weird, and it didn't make any sense to Vanessa, shouldn't she be the one scared and confused.

"Do you want me to leave?" She quietly asked.

Zac blinked a few times before he furiously shook his head 'no'.

"Okay" was all she could say and they both stood there in silence staring anywhere but at each other. Vanessa couldn't take the silence anymore, sure she knew from experience that Zac sometimes did go longer times without opening his mouth, but that was what she was there for, because let's face it, Vanessa could talk, sometimes, at least according to her parents, to much, especially since her younger sister was the same way, but with Zac that was a good thing, it meant that they never had to sit through any awkward moments, sometimes she could even say the most weirdest things just so they could find something to talk about, but this was different, for one of the fem moments in her life she had no idea what do say.

Zac didn't seem to k now what to say either so instead he pulled her hand and lead her though the door before shutting it behind them before letting it go and walking towards his living room, Vanessa stood there in the hallway before taking a deep breath and followed him only to freeze in her steps at the sight in front of her as she reached the living room.

The room was lit by nothing but candles which gave the room a warm glow, the only place free was the small path that led from the door where the stood to a small clearing in the middle of the room where Zac sat on a small blanket. He gestured for her to come over and sit in front of him and in a daze; she walked over and did as he asked.

She couldn't take her eyes from his and he seem to have the same problem, suddenly her cleared his voice and pulled his eyes away from hers and reached behind him and pulled out his guitar. He took a deep breath before he started playing, the melody floated through the room and she loved it, although, not as much as she did when he opend his mouth and started singing, she recognised the song as Ben Harper's 'Walk Away' one of those songs she knew that he loved and that she had hard him sing to himself when he thought that no one heard, but this, she never thought that she would hear him sing to her, to just her, like this, she felt her eyes water, and a smile spread across her lips. She loved his voice, she had told him that millions of times but he always brushed it of as nothing, true he liked singing but he always said that it was just for work, and occasionally for himself, that he now sat in front of her playing guitar and singing…she felt speechless, you could just sit there and take it all in, not knowing how to really react.

Still not being totally sure, r maybe he just felt modest, Zac kept his eyes on the guitar as he played, or maybe he was just afraid that her reaction to it was a negative one, he wasn't sure, but when glanced he glanced up as he sang "You put the happy in my Ness" and when he saw the smile and the tears he nearly stopped breathing partly of release and partly of joy, and when he started singing again, he kept his eyes locked on hers.

When he finished and the room fell quiet again, they both just sat there and stared at each other before Vanessa did the one thing she could think of, the launched herself at him and Zac, who didn't expect it fell backward onto the floor, with Vanessa on top of him covering his lips with hers.

Neither of them could help the smile that spread across their lips as they pulled apart.

"I'm sorry," Zac whispered as he pulled his hand through her hair.

Vanessa smiled. "I know."

"I love you." Zac continued.

"I know."

"Can you say anything other then 'I know'"

Vanessa shrugged but couldn't stop smiling, while Zac just nodded before a mischievous smile tugged in the corner of his lips.

"Zac Efron is the best and most amazing boyfriend in the world." He said quickly waiting for her response.

Vanessa who had been caught up in her own teasing game by replying 'I know to everything he said hadn't listened very well.

"I kno…hey…that's not very nice." She said and Zac laughed. Vanessa sent him a death glare, which only lasted a second before she also burst out laughing.

"It's true though," Zac said.

Vanessa raised her eyebrow at him. "Cocky much?"

"Only with you, babe, only with you," Suddenly a thought crossed Zac's mind and he sat up so that Vanessa fell into his lap as he stared at her. "Wait, were you out walking in the middle of the night by yourself?"

"Zac, it's 7.30pm, and it's not that dark outside." Vanessa replied and rolled her eyes at how he ruined the moment, yet, she still couldn't help but smile at the thought of him caring about her, even after almost two years together, it still hadn't stopped amaze her, but she didn't complain, she loved it, and she loved him.

"So?"

"I'm 18," she tried.

"So?"

Vanessa sighed but couldn't keep the light laughter in anymore, she grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bedroom. "To much drama on one day, I'm tired."

"Tired huh?" He chuckled and grabbed her waist from behind and lifted her up only to loose his balance and they both fell onto the bed with him on top of her. He leaned in a kissed her softly.

"Maybe I'm not that tired," She said when he pulled away. Zac smiled and pulled her towards him.

About and hour later, they both laid there, with Vanessa on top of him resting her head against his chest. They were both half asleep but Zac still knew that he had to ask her the question that had been on his mind these last few hours.

"Van?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled tiredly against his chest.

He hesitated for moment before continuing. "When we first got together, when I told you that I would never hurt you, you gave me this smile, what did it mean?"

Vanessa turned her head so that she could look him in the eyes, she raised her eyebrow a ittle but when she saw that he was serious she answered. "It meant that I knew that in every relationship there are ups and downs, things said and done that might hurt the other, sometimes by misunderstandings and lack of communication and sometimes, those unfortunate times, on purpose, but it's unavoidable."

"I'm sorry. Even when I knew everything you've been though, I still pulled this stupid stunt and…"

"Hey, I told you, it's okay, I just…can we put this behind us and not talk about it. I will probably be asked about it over and over again within the next few weeks anyway, can that be enough?"

"Yeah, but I'm still sorry…"

"Zac!"

"Sorry…" he replied but groanedwhen he realised what he said.Vanessa chuckled lightly before reaching out towards the nightstand and turning of the light and falling asleep. It was true that every relationships did have it's ups and downs, the same with life, but the ups definitely topped the downs. Vanessa couldn't help but smile, she had to admit that she really hoped that Zac would sing to her again sometime.

The End


End file.
